Carpet vise



Aug EL 1934. E, HOOBLER 1,971,218

CARPET VI SE Filed Dec. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 21, 1934 E. v. HOOBLER CARPET VISE Filed Dec. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 21, 1934 U I ED' ST E P E T-vrm AREETIVfSE v Elb a V. Hoobler, Waterville, ()hio Application December-31,1929, Serial No. 417,784

' 8Claims. 101254-62) This invention relates toan improvement in carpet vises.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of vises used for stretching carpets or the like so as to stretch the carpet and hold it in place in the simplest manner possible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp for the vise or stretcher for engaging an edge or other portion of the carpet and securely clamp the same without in any manner injuring or damaging the carpet.

In the accompanying drawings:

v Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the carpet vise applied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the slotted bar; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the same.

.The present invention is designed to beused primarily for stretching an edge of a carpet or the like to a predetermined position where it may be tacked or otherwise secured to the floor.

The carpet is designated generally by the numeral 1. Gripping jaws 2 and 3 are arranged in parallel relation with the sides thereof in position to bear flatly against the surfaces of the carpet. The jaw 2 is pivoted as at 4 to a lever 5, while the jaw 3 is fixed to an end of a cooperating lever 6, the levers 5 and 6 being pivoted together as at '7. This causes the jaws to be forced together upon inward movement of the outer ends of these levers.

A link 8 is pivotally attached to the outer end of the lever 5, whil an arm 9 is pivotally secured to the outer end of the lever 6, the link 8 being pivoted to the arm 9 as at 10.

The levers 5, 6, which are pivoted together, and the link 8 and arm 9 which are also pivoted together and to the levers, thus assembled constitute and are designated lazy-tongs.

A bar 11 is provided with prongs, or teeth 12 at one end thereof adapted to be engaged in the floor. This bar 11 also has slots 13 formed therein and arranged longitudinally thereof, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3.

A lever 14 of approximately L-shape has a downturned end 15 in position to enter the slots 13. Connected with this lever 14 approximately at the point of the bend, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is one end of a chain 16 or other suitable flexible connection, the opposite end thereof being connected with the pivotal point 10, which joins the link 8 with the bar orarm 9. The outerend of this arm 9 is alsoconnectedby a chain or other flexible'connection ll'with a hook 18 designed to be engaged in another of the slots 13.

In using this carpet vise or stretcher, the jaws 1 2 and 3 are engaged in parallel relation on opposite sides of the carpet at or near the edge thereof, while the hooks 12 of the bar 11 are engaged in the floor, remote from the edge of the carpet but in alignment with the direction of the pull 5. desired. Then by engaging the end 15 of the L- shaped lever 14 in a slot spaced from the end of this bar, while the hook 18 is secured in another slot, a clamping and stretching action on the edge of the carpet is secured by pulling the lever bar 14 back from the outer end of the slotted bar in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. This also tends to force the points or hooks 12 into the floor so as to increase the hold thereof. I

This construction improves and simplifies the manner of stretching the carpet and holding it in its stretched position, and it also prevents injury to the carpet by having the jaws 2 and 3 arranged in planes approximately parallel with the surface thereof.

I claim:

1. A carpet stretcher including lazy tongs, jaws connected to one end of said lazy tongs, an actuating lever, an anchor bar, and means connecting the other end of said lazy tongs with the actuating lever and anchor bar.

2. A stretching device including gripping means, an anchor bar, a lever constructed and adapted to be fulcrurned at some predetermined point with respect to the anchor bar, lazy-tongs connected with the gripping means, and means for connecting the lazy-tongs to the lever.

3. A stretching device or" the character described including gripping jaws, lazy-tongs connected with said jaws, an actuating lever, an anchor bar, two independent flexible connections, one extending from the lazy-tongs to the lever, and the other from the lazy-tongs to the anchorbar.

4. The combination of gripping jaws, an anchor bar adapted to be fixed in place, an operating lever constructed and adapted to be fulcrumed with respect to the anchor-bar, and means connected to and extending between the jaws and lever for tightening the grip of the jaws and pulling them toward the anchor-bar.

5. A stretching device of the character described comprising jaws, toggle levers connected With said jaws, an extension lever connected with and extending outwardly from one of said toggle diate its ends, an anchor bar, an actuating lever adjustably connected with the anchor bar, means connecting the actuating lever with the extension lever at the last-mentioned pivotal point, and means connecting the end portion of the extension lever to the anchor bar.

7. A stretching device of the character described comprising jaws, toggle levers connected with said jaws, an extension lever connected with and extending outwardly from one of the toggle levers, a linkconnected with the other toggle lever and pivoted to the extension lever intermediate its ends, an anchor bar having slots formed therein, an actuating lever for adjustably entering the slots, flexible means connecting the actuating lever with the extension lever at the last-mentioned pivotal point, a hook for engaging in the slots of the anchor bar, and flexible means connecting said hook with the end portion of the extension lever.

-8. A carpet vise'including self-adjusting or self-paralleling jaws between which the carpet to be stretched is grasped, in connection with lazy-tongs to one end of which the jaws are connected, a flexible connection attached to the lazy tongs, a lever to which the flexible connection is attached,-and a bar on which the lever is fulcrumed, whereby, when the jaws are in position with respect to the carpet to be stretched and. the lever is swung in one direction, the jaws are caused to grip the carpet and the carpet to be stretched in the direction in which the lever is swung.

ELBA V. HOOBLER. 

